Quilt-along 2021

[Lynx2Lancer (Laura)]

Quilt Along hosted by Lynx2Lancer and AudiobookLover

Quarterly Ticket Tracking Space

Welcome to our cozy quilt space where we share our quilting works in any stage of our quilting game! This is a place for quilters of all skill levels, working on any project or quilting style to gather! Whether you like to quilt blankets, make mini or art quilts, quilted bags, or make smaller projects like mug rugs, this is for you. Paper piecing, traditional piecing, free form quilting, hand quilting, you name it…you’re in!

Besides sharing your quilting journey, we will have fun prompts, challenges, and Blocks of the Month, with a chance to win prizes by participating! Prizes will range from Amazon/Etsy gift card to a quilting supply. The more tickets you earn, the better your change of winning the quarterly challenge prize! These will be offered by AudiobookLover and Lynx2Lancer.

Prompts: Each month there will be an inspirational prompt. When you complete a prompt, you will be given a ticket into our quarterly prize drawing.

Challenges: Every quarter (every 3 months) we will host a challenge. You can enter one item of each size (small, medium, or large) to earn tickets for the challenge. You can participate in the challenges even if you do not complete final quilting yourself, but your quilt top is complete. You can enter a quilt top/pieced mini quilt as a challenge entry even if you have not finished the project. If you want to wait and count it as a larger (time wise) challenge, that works too.

Project Sizes
Small: Something that takes you less than 10 hours to sew and quilt. (1 ticket)
Medium: Something that takes you 10-20 hours to sew and quilt. (2 tickets)
Large: Something that takes you 20 or more hours to sew and quilt. (3 tickets)

Group Nominated Block of the Month: Each month we will have a quilt block nominated by a group member that you can make with your own fabric choices. The goal is that if you complete one block each month, by December you will have enough to make a nice sized quilt top to show off to the group. You get 1 ticket per month to our prize drawing, for completing a BOM during the month it is hosted.

How to Post an Entry: To enter a Prompt , Challenge or BOM project for a ticket entry, please use the appropriate header below, at the start of your post:
-I your name , offer your item for month’s prompt
-I your name offer your item for my small/medium/large (pick one) challenge entry.
-I your name submit this as my (current month only) BOM entry.

QUARTERLY CHALLENGE: July 1- September 30, 2021
This quarter’s challenge is all about summer! Create a small, medium, and large item that is summer themed, is something you’d use in summer. Ideas are: quilted popsicle holders, reusable napkins for picnics, summer tablecloth, mini quilt to decorate your camper! What can you think up?

MONTHLY PROMPTS:

July Prompt Country Pride – We celebrate Independence Day in America, but that doesn’t mean you can’t show your own country’s pride! Craft something to show your love for your country!

August Prompt: Nature’s Bounty. Quilt something that represents something you might see in nature, something you might use with nature (napkins for garden snacks, for example), or any other way you want to represent this theme

September’s Prompt - Back to ____. What are you getting back to or into? Back to school? Back to work? Back to basics? Back to that book? Back to baking? Back to a kid’s activity? Whatever it is that you are getting back to/into, craft something for it!

October’s prompt - selfless giving - Quilt something for someone else! Whether it be a set of placemats for a hostess gift, a quilted play mat for your favorite little person, or a quilt for a friend going through a tough time, use your skills and talents to make something to show someone you care!

November’s Prompt – Random Act of Kindness! Stitch up something to give as a surprise gift to someone needing a pick me up, drop a little surprise around your town, anything random and kind will do! Tell us about it when you post your prompt!

December’s prompt - Festive Decor - Quilt some festive decor - seasonal, or not, it’s up to you! You can finally use that fabric panel you bought months ago to create a wall hanging, or join @MistressJennie in making placemats, or @Immaculata in making a table runner. For those short on time, how about a quilted ornament or two? There are so many options available and what better way to decorate your space than with something you made yourself?
Oct to Dec Quarterly challenge - Create something ‘seasonal.’ Which season? Any season! It can be a Halloween project, something Christmassy, or something bright and springy, whatever your heart desires.

Quarter 2 COMPLETE
June Prompt WIP Completion – Grab that wip you were too busy to get to and finish it up!
May Prompt Improv – Work on whatever the fabric muse takes you!
April Prompt: Spring cleaning - finish a ufo or quilt something using at least 50% stash

Quarter 1 COMPLETE
January: Using stash OR new items, quilt something of any size that will be NEW for YOU!
February February is the month of love, so the prompt is: make something with hearts! You can use fabric with hearts, you can make a second of Edel’s heart block, or you can find a different heart block pattern and try that! What does your desire?
March Quilt something that showcases something you want to celebrate, something green, or something that gives you luck!

BLOCK OF THE MONTH:
January – Sawtooth Star nominated by @Audiobooklover
February – @Edel’s Heart patchwork block
March – Missouri Quilt Co’s Brown Goose nominated by @craftADDchick
April – Card Trick nominated by @Lynx2Lancer (Another Tutorial to Make This (no triangles) ) --thanks for finding this @MistressJennie
May – Massachusetts Quilt Block nominated by @MistressJennie
June – Pat’s Star Block nominated by @Cindy

(This picture represents our January - June choices!)–thanks @AudiobookLover for the visual!

July – Churn Dash Quilt Block nominated by @PrincessP
August – Bento Box nominated by @roler.
September – Economy Block nominated by @aimr.
October – All Hallows block nominated by @Abbeeroad
November – Sukey’s Choice nomiated by @MistressJennie (Alternate Pattern for various size blocks; uses paper templates)
December – Christmas Quilt Block nominated by @marionberries.

[AudiobookLover]

What helpful information have you come across in your quilting journey? Is there a quilt pattern that you just can’t get enough of, or perhaps you’ve created a pattern that you’d like to share? Please share with us and as you do, I will add the information to this space here so that they can all be found in one easy to locate post.

Tips/Tricks:

• Use quilting rulers that have the same measurements as your cutting mat so that you can use the lines to line the two up.
• Have a large amount of rotary blades available and change them out often (you can get a bulk supply through AliExpress).
• Keep a supply of sewing needles handy and change out your needle after every large project or two.
• You can use an OttLite lightbulb in a regular desk lamp. It gives you the OttLite illumination without the price of the full lamp.

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Helpful Links

Tips/Tricks:

• Just Get it Done Quilts - YouTube channel
• How to Quilt a Big Quilt on a Standard Sewing Machine - YouTube
• Quiltville's Quips & Snips!!: Leaders & Enders! The Why's and How's! - Leaders & Enders - helpful tip on getting more done
• Leaders and enders for sewing, how and why - @Edel’s helpful post on leaders and enders
• MareMare’s Binding Tutorial
• Squaring up HSTs - HST help from @MistressJennie (including tips on pressing and ironing HSTs)
• Free motion quilting - helpful diagram and information from @MistressJennie

Paper Piecing:

• Paper Piecing Made Easy on Vimeo
• Basic Paper Piecing Tutorial – Color Girl Quilts by Sharon McConnell
• Paper Piecing Art: Beginner & Beyond, a STITCHED 2012 Workshop - YouTube

Quilt Blocks/Patterns:

• Free Quilt Block Patterns Library
• https://www.youtube.com/user/MissouriQuiltCo
• Quilt Blocks Galore!

[AudiobookLover]

What is your favorite notion to use? Have you come across an extremely useful tool? All of that information will be posted in this space here. So check back often!

Helpful Notions/Tools

• Self healing cutting mat (can be purchased in inches, centimeters, or double sided with inches/centimeters on each side)
• Rotary cutter & replacement blades
• Quilting rulers
  • Stripology ruler (a specialized ruler that allows you to cut out strips and blocks of various sizes)
• Binding clips (used to clip binding in place prior to sewing it)
• Chain quilting cutter (used to quickly cut the threads between chain pieces)
• That purple thang (helps turn things inside out, poke out corners, hold down fiddly bits so you don’t sew your fingers, etc)
• Rotating cutting mat (allows you to cut on one side of your fabric, rotate the mat and cut down the other side of your fabric without having to contort your body or move your fabric or ruler)
• Omnigrid InvisiGRIP (a clear film you can apply to the bottom of your ruler to prevent it from slipping)
• OttLite (a light that provides bright daylight illumination that drastically reduces frustrating shadows)

[Lynx2Lancer (Laura)]

Quarter 1 of 2021 drawing winners! @Cindy and @poetrylover828!

March - National Quilting Month

• National Sewing Machine Day (June 13) – Celebrates the day the sewing machine was patented.
• National Thread the Needle Day (July 25) – This holiday is also about metaphorically threading the needle – walking a fine line between two issues.
• National Sewing Month (September) – Proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1982 “in recognition of the importance of home sewing to our Nation.”

[Lynx2Lancer (Laura)]

I was really excited that I made a quilt for my bed, and that inspired me to decide maybe I should do a “quilt a year” for my bed. Ambitious? Probably. I went on a slight pattern spree and ordered a mountain quilt block pattern, a set of birds (of course!) pattern, and two quilt patterns from Etsy. Then, AudiobookLover and I chatted and decided since we both like to quilt, it is time for us quilters to craft along together!

We hope you join us no matter what size of quilting you like to do!

[AudiobookLover]

I am so excited for this quilt-along! I’m really looking forward to sharing ideas, information, and just enjoying the camaraderie of other quilters!

A few years back, I read a fictional quilting book and became very interested in quilting, but it wasn’t until my mom and I ended up stopping at a quilt shop while on vacation that the quilting bug really took hold. Ever since then, quilting has taken over my thoughts, my pinterest, and my online shopping carts .

If you have any interest in quilting, this is the place for you!

[Smmarrt (Susan - You can just add more paint!)]

I am going to join because I started a quilt and I really need motivation/inspiration to complete it. The quilt I have been using is falling to shreds - it is the first one I ever completed many,many years/decades ago.

I am using mostly stash to make a crazy quilt. My goal is to finish 2 or 3 blocks a day now while I am home and we’ll see what happens if/when I go back to school next week.

[Edel]

Oh I’m definitely in. I counted and I made 11 quilts in 2020 plus an unfinished top. I gave 10 of them away. I am just starting on a baby quilt.

Useful tools-I’ve been using a cutting mat that is marked in metric,I found one a couple of months ago that is inches on one side and cm on the other, using a quilting ruler marked in inches with the same measurement system on the cutting mat, makes things so much easier (even if it’s easier to line up on the metric one-more lines on the mat) this is obviously a non-US, rest of the world tip.

The other most useful thing is, buy a load of rotary cutting blades on AliExpress, and change them out before any big project.

My most recent, best tools-binding clips (also AliExpress) and an add a quarter ruler for Foundation piecing.

[Lynx2Lancer (Laura)]

@smmarrt We look forward to seeing your progress pictures!

@edel Goodness, that is a lot of quilts! Those are really great tips to start off this quiltalong. Thanks for sharing.

[marionberries (Carol - formerly cmarion3)]

My previous quilting experience was a few pillow tops and mug rugs. Then I had a grandson, one game based quilt when he was 8 or so. Then the grand nephew’s, then a grand daughter and grand neice. What had I started. They each got a quilt and then my neice had another son. Don’t they know what causes this? I love them all and they are all healthy, brilliant , and perfect.

So I have the new baby’s quilt top done, just need to do my least fav…quilt it. Wish me luck. Then maybe I can start the new lap quilts I’ve been planning for ages.

This is navy, turquoise and orange.

LLP

[Abbeeroad (Abbie - she/her)]

This is so fun!! Maybe I will actually complete a quilt this year…

[Immaculata]

I’m in! I’m not totally new to quilting - I’ve completed probably a dozen in the past 10 years - but I’m still an absolute beginner. I’ve been working on a large hexagon project for a couple of years. I need to pick it up from my LQS soon, I will hand quilt it but it was too big to baste at home.

Most of my quilts have been baby quilts, when I started that tradition I didn’t really consider how many babies my friends would have! I think all but one are probably done now though.

I hope to learn all your quilting secrets!

[AIMR (Linda--Join us in the Happy Mail Craftalong! :us:)]

My absolutely favorite quilting tool is my chain quilting cutter…it is just a razor blade set up in a piece of plastic, but it has saved me hours of time because you can chain piece and just whip through cutting them all apart!

I also love the purple thang tool…it has helped me turn things inside out, poke out corners, hold down fiddly bits so I don’t sew my fingers, etc.

Lastly, I agree that having fresh needles and blades are essential. I change needles after every big project or two and I have a pack of 25 blades on hand that will last me a very long time.

I am really determined to finish my scrappy Wandering Person (not PC to use the “g” word) Quilt and my Kaffee Fassett quilt…I spent a lot of money on those fabrics and need to get them done.

I have developed an interest in the small end of the bed quilts as well and now that all of the kids seem to be getting older, they all want a favorite quilt to be made…

This will be fun!

[Lynx2Lancer (Laura)]

So happy to see so many of you here! Yay! This will be fun!

I got some Amazon gift cards for Christmas…time to add that purple thang to cart!

[AudiobookLover]

@Smmarrt I saw the quilt blocks you posted in the lounge. Did you decide on a size for them? Are you going to add sashing between blocks or go all out crazy quilt and sew the blocks side by side?

@edel 11 quilts, plus an unfinished top?? That’s super impressive, it’s practically a quilt a month! I’ll add your useful tools to the tool post a little later when I have more time. Thanks for sharing! I have a bunch of binding clips that I originally bought for use with my embroidery machine, but have since been using them while making quilts. Do you use yours for binding, or for other purposes?

@marionberries, I really like how you used the polka dot border fabric for the outer sashing squares on the center layout and that inner red border really makes the whole quilt pop! You now have me considering adding an inner border to my I-Spy quilts… How do you plan on doing the quilting?

@Abbeeroad 2021 - Is your year! I’ve seen all the little things you’ve created with tiny bits of fabric, I’d love to see whatever kind of quilt you’d come up with! Do you already have a pattern idea and supplies ready to go?

@Immaculata I can’t wait to see your hexagon quilt completed! What kind of quilting are you thinking of doing?

@AIMR I just got a chain quilting cutter for Christmas! When I first saw them, I thought it was unnecessary when I could just use my snips to cut the chain thread, but as I started doing more and more chain piecing, I quickly saw the draw of the chain quilt cutter! Are your Kaffe Fassett fabrics all colors of the rainbow, or did you go with a specific colorway? I find most of the Kaffe Fassett fabrics to be too busy for my taste, but when I see a completed quilt done with the same fabrics, I’m often very impressed and find myself liking the finished product.

[AIMR (Linda--Join us in the Happy Mail Craftalong! :us:)]

I tend to go for very bright and chaotic type of patterns and colors…that is probably why I like scrappy everything and asymmetrical patterns. I have used different colorways of the fabrics for different projects…I also like Tula Pink fabrics for the same reason…lots of colors and patterns…I have tried to do more modern quilt patterns but they just don’t appeal to me…I would love to try a fabric collage pattern this year as well and I have been collecting Hawaiian type prints to do a quilt as well…just have to find the time to do it all! lol

[Smmarrt (Susan - You can just add more paint!)]

I bought some square rulers from Amazon which arrived yesterday, but the sizes were big. I just stopped at the art store for glue and found an 8.5 x 8.5 square, which seems perfect.

And for now, I’m thinking I will embrace the crazy and sew blocks together, no sashing except for perimeter.

Also, I’m saving all the little bits that get cut off and may try to sew them into a panel to be embedded on back of quilt.

Off to try squaring blocks with new size.
I currently have 10 fingers…

[Abbeeroad (Abbie - she/her)]

Ha…pattern and supplies ready? I think you have me confused with a planner!

I actually have a stack of t-shirt squares leftover from the t-shirt quilt I made from Mr. Road’s old tie-dyes several years ago. I already made one quilt for my son with some of these leftovers but still have so many! I have had it on my to-do list to make one for my brother-in-law for…a long time now, haha. His birthday is in May so I’ll aim for that.

[marionberries (Carol - formerly cmarion3)]

@AudiobookLover I’ve often added an inner border to make a quilt larger and when a border seems too wide. To me the borders are like framing a picture, it should enhance the quilt.
I’ll probably just do a basic stitch-in-the-ditch on my home machine. Baby quilts are all I will attempt to home quilt and the few places that do quilting are expensive and completely backed up…what else can you do when staying home but make things?

This is going to be fun. I look at all the beautiful quilts everyone makes. So much variety and love.

[Lynx2Lancer (Laura)]

I actually just hung back up the “There is no planet B” mini you made me several years ago. I have to switch it around occasionally for seasonal minis, but I love it still!